Portron Features
Portron wraps your electron application with a tight minimalistic yet super-efficient linux system you will barely notice. The real star here is your electron application, that will be launched full screen after a splash screen you provide.
Your electron application is run on Kiosk mode and is impossible to escape. Portron provides an optional "POWER MENU" that you access with the power key, that allows to configure the settings, the network, shutdown or reboot the system. This power menu blends beautifully with your application.
You can generate several types of Portron systems, depending on if your application requires network and/or persistence.
Type 1) No Network, No Persistence
This will be a live-only system, with no wizards, installers or
anything. You insert the media on a computer, a splash screen is
shown and your electron application starts full-screen, period.
Your electron application will not have a working network connection
or store persistent data.
This is useful for simple signage applications that use local
content.
TYPICAL USE FLOW:
- First runs: Splash Screen -> (Optional) Configurator -> Electron App
- All runs: Splash Screen -> Electron App
POWER MENU options: ShutDown, Configuration, Reboot
Type 2) Network without persistence.
This will also be a live-only system. The first time it is run,
a network wizard will be shown to configure the network.
You can choose wether to write the settings to the live media
so your application will automatically boot next
USEFUL FOR: Electron applications that do not need persistent local
storage but need a network connection.
TYPICAL USE FLOW:
- First Run: Splash Screen -> Network Wizard -> Electron App
- Next runs: Splash Screen -> Electron App (if settings were saved)
POWER MENU options: Network Wizard, Write settings, ShutDown, Reboot
Type 3) No Network, with persistence
This will require the user to install the application the first
time it is run.
Your application can be installed to any hard-disk or writable
removable media (including the same one used to boot).
Mind that The WHOLE SELECTED DEVICE is then used for your
application (Portron uses 3 partitions and UEFI boot). YOU
CANNOT SHARE PORTRON WITH OTHER OPERATING SYSTEMS ON THE SAME
DEVICE (ie. HARD DISK) If you need multi-boot, you will need
more than 1 ssd (one for your Portron App, and more for the
rest of your OSs)
With this application model, you can store files at your will
from your electron application.
Additionally, all electron internal files are also kept persistent,
so cached files, browser sessions, cookies, localstorage, etc...
work across reboots.
Useful for: Electron applications that need persistent storage.
As a bonus, electron is also configured to keep the cache files,
localstorage, browser sessions, etc. in the persistent storage.
TYPICAL USE FLOW:
- First Run: Splash Screen -> Installer -> reboot
- Next runs: Splash Screen -> Electron App
POWER MENU: Shutdown, Reboot, Configuration
Type 4) Network and Persistence
Just like the former, but network wizard is also run automatically
if a network connection is not configured.
Useful for: Electron applications that need a working network connection
and persistent storage.
TYPICAL USE FLOW:
- First Run: Splash Screen -> Network Wizard -> Installer -> reboot
- Next runs: Splash Screen -> Electron App
POWER MENU: Shutdown, Reboot, Network Wizard, Configuration
- Multi-Monitor Hotplug
- Audio and HDMI audio
- Removable Media